I received my 136" CIH Masquerade system earlier this week. Yesterday afternoon, a friend and I installed the MMS screen and CIH masking system. While I don't yet have my projector hooked up (Jason Turk is coming over next week to install the PJ and A-lens), a number of you expressed an interest in my first impressions.
As expected, the folks from Carada were more than attentive. I only wish all companies exhibited this type of Customer Care. Thanks, David!
The install took about 4 hours to go from bare walls and unopened boxes to a fully-functioning 2.35 screen and masking system. That included a beer break, of course.
I bought the MMS screen (Brilliant White) from Carada. After installing the bracket on which the Masquerade hangs, you put together the MMS frame, attach 4 wooden mounting blocks to the wall, and then attach the MMS frame to those wooden blocks. Pretty simple. The screen fabric has a sewn border complete with snaps to mount the screen onto the frame. Contrary to some reports on the forum, we had zero difficulty stretching the fabric onto all the snaps. Perhaps with a larger screen size the fabric is a bit more easily stretched - I dunno, but this step was quite easy for us.
After the MMS is installed, the Masquerade is installed in 6 steps
1. Hang the top channel on the bracket and secure it to the wall
2. Attach the pre-assembled motors and mask fabric rolls (the motor assembly frames are the side members of the Masquerade)
3. Bolt the bottom frame assembly to the motor assemblies
4. Attach the tensioning cables (pre-installed in the top and bottom frames) to the mask rollers
5. Hook up AC power
6. Slide on side panels to cover the motor assemblies
The 'normal' installation calls for power to enter the bottom right-hand corner of the Masquerade. Since I couldn't access that area, we routed the power behind the MMS screen and stapled it to the wall. Worked pretty well, I'm just hoping the staples hold so I don't get any bulges in the screen!
With that, the installation was complete. Considering the complexity of a masking system (underlying screen, motors, pulleys, moving fabric panels, etc., etc.), Carada's design and docs made this a pretty simple exercise. If you are half-way handy, it's no problem to complete this installation. Everything fit well and installed as expected.
The masking panels move along at a pretty brisk pace, going from fully extended (1.33) to fully open (2.35) in just a little over 3 seconds. Jogging, either both together or just one mask, seems pretty easy as well. The motors run VERY quietly - if there's any background noise at all, you won't hear them run.
I dearly wish I could show you some screen captures, but that will have to wait until after the RS20 and Prismasonic lens are installed.
Here's a few images of the installation. First, the MMS frame after installation (you can see the Masquerade bracket above the MMS):
After the screen fabric is snapped onto the MMS frame:
Power for the Masquerade run behind the screen:
And the theater after the Masquerade was installed over the MMS frame/screen:
Masked for Academy:
Masked for 1.85:
Masks fully retracted for 2.35:
As expected, the folks from Carada were more than attentive. I only wish all companies exhibited this type of Customer Care. Thanks, David!
The install took about 4 hours to go from bare walls and unopened boxes to a fully-functioning 2.35 screen and masking system. That included a beer break, of course.
I bought the MMS screen (Brilliant White) from Carada. After installing the bracket on which the Masquerade hangs, you put together the MMS frame, attach 4 wooden mounting blocks to the wall, and then attach the MMS frame to those wooden blocks. Pretty simple. The screen fabric has a sewn border complete with snaps to mount the screen onto the frame. Contrary to some reports on the forum, we had zero difficulty stretching the fabric onto all the snaps. Perhaps with a larger screen size the fabric is a bit more easily stretched - I dunno, but this step was quite easy for us.
After the MMS is installed, the Masquerade is installed in 6 steps
1. Hang the top channel on the bracket and secure it to the wall
2. Attach the pre-assembled motors and mask fabric rolls (the motor assembly frames are the side members of the Masquerade)
3. Bolt the bottom frame assembly to the motor assemblies
4. Attach the tensioning cables (pre-installed in the top and bottom frames) to the mask rollers
5. Hook up AC power
6. Slide on side panels to cover the motor assemblies
The 'normal' installation calls for power to enter the bottom right-hand corner of the Masquerade. Since I couldn't access that area, we routed the power behind the MMS screen and stapled it to the wall. Worked pretty well, I'm just hoping the staples hold so I don't get any bulges in the screen!
With that, the installation was complete. Considering the complexity of a masking system (underlying screen, motors, pulleys, moving fabric panels, etc., etc.), Carada's design and docs made this a pretty simple exercise. If you are half-way handy, it's no problem to complete this installation. Everything fit well and installed as expected.
The masking panels move along at a pretty brisk pace, going from fully extended (1.33) to fully open (2.35) in just a little over 3 seconds. Jogging, either both together or just one mask, seems pretty easy as well. The motors run VERY quietly - if there's any background noise at all, you won't hear them run.
I dearly wish I could show you some screen captures, but that will have to wait until after the RS20 and Prismasonic lens are installed.
Here's a few images of the installation. First, the MMS frame after installation (you can see the Masquerade bracket above the MMS):
After the screen fabric is snapped onto the MMS frame:
Power for the Masquerade run behind the screen:
And the theater after the Masquerade was installed over the MMS frame/screen:
Masked for Academy:
Masked for 1.85:
Masks fully retracted for 2.35:
